Laying out a comic page that works in three different formats has its challenges. Today, I thought I’d walk you through my process for this week’s page.
I keep a consistent title panel for the Prologue comics, which leaves me a little over half a row to set up the comic. This week, I used a medium shot to show Maddie in her environment, finishing up recording her first episode.
Row 3 is where the fun happens, showcasing Outman’s different celebration suggestions. So, row 2 is for exposition. I used a close-up to a two-shot to keep the story moving and set up the celebration panels in the next row.
Thinking about the overall page, I wanted the celebration panels to split the comic’s setup from its conclusion. I made all three panels the same size to create a staccato rhythm for Outman’s suggestions.
In the fourth row, I led into the finish with an isolated shot of Outman looking ridiculous, combining elements from his suggestions. I wanted the panels themselves to help suggest how different Maddie’s idea of celebration was from Outman’s. Outman’s ideas were three smaller panels in a row, while Maddie’s idea of celebration comes across in one long panel. Finally, there’s a little tag at the end with a final line for one last joke.
If you find this interesting, let me know! I’m new to comics and learning as I go, but I’m happy to share my thought process along the way.